1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to presenting electronic messaging data and, more particularly, to presenting message attachments independent of electronic messages at a user-interface.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Computer systems and related technology affect many aspects of society. Indeed, the computer system's ability to process information has transformed the way we live and work. Computer systems now commonly perform a host of tasks (e.g., word processing, scheduling, and database management) that prior to the advent of the computer system were performed manually. More recently, computer systems have been coupled to one another and to other electronic devices to form both wired and wireless computer networks over which the computer systems and other electronic devices can transfer electronic data. As a result, many tasks performed at a computer system (e.g., voice communication, accessing electronic mail, controlling home electronics, web browsing) include electronic communication between a number of computer systems and/or other electronic devices via wired and/or wireless computer networks.
In particular, electronic messaging has become an important method for communicating. Computer system users often send and receive electronic messages (e.g., electronic mail messages, instant messages, faxes, news group postings, etc.,) to exchange information with one another. For example, to create an electronic mail message, a sending user typically selects a new message option from within an electronic mail application. In response to the selection, the electronic mail application displays one or more fields (e.g., a To field, a Body field, etc.) that can receive user entered data. The sending user then enters data (e.g., at a keyboard) into the displayed fields. When appropriate, the sending user can save the electronic mail message as a draft or send the electronic mail message to a recipient user (e.g., by selecting the appropriate “save” or “send” control within the electronic mail application).
Sending the electronic mail message may cause the electronic mail message to be routed from the sending user's computer system, through a sending mail server, across a network, to a receiving mail server that stores electronic mail messages for a recipient user. To view the electronic mail message, the recipient user establishes a connection from an electronic mail application to the receiving mail server. Establishing the connection can cause all electronic mail messages sent to the recipient user, including the mail message from the sending user, to be transferred from the receiving mail server to the recipient user's computer system and stored at the recipient user's computer system. After the electronic mail message from the sending user is transferred and stored, the recipient user may manipulate an input device, such as, for example, a mouse, within the electronic mail application to view the stored electronic mail message.
Electronic messages are also frequently used to send files (word processing documents, pictures, etc) from one user to another. A user desiring to send a file can attach the file to an electronic message. When the electronic message is transferred, the attached file is transferred along with the electronic message. Thus, it may be that an electronic message includes a message body (e.g., text included in an electronic mail message) and an attachment (or attachments).
There is typically a reasonably tight coupling between an electronic message and any included attachments. Thus, when an electronic message including an attachment is received at recipient's computer system, the attachment is stored along with the message body at the recipient's computer system. Further, when the electronic message is moved to a different storage location or deleted, the attachment is typically also correspondingly moved to the storage location or deleted. Coupling attachments and electronic messages can allow a user to easily manipulate the electronic message and attachment together.
When viewing an electronic message that includes attachments, an icon (e.g., a paper clip) representing the attachment is typically presented along with the message body at a user-interface. Accordingly, the recipient can then select the icon to access or launch the attachment. The recipient can also save a copy of the attachment to location on a mass storage device associated with the recipient's computer system. Unfortunately, if for some reason a user does not save an attachment before deleting a corresponding electronic message, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to recover the attachment.
However, attachments are typically not modeled as first class objects. Thus, to access an attachment, the recipient is typically forced to first access an electronic message that includes the attachment. That is, there is typically no mechanism for presenting an attachment at a user-interface independent of an electronic message that includes the attachment.
Further, it is often difficult to locate attachments. For example, a saved attachment may be stored in an obscure location used by an electronic messaging application. Additionally, even when an attachment can be located, presentation of an attachment at a user-interface typically does not provide any metadata associated with the attachment. For example, viewing an attachment at a user-interface typically does not provide any indication of the entity that sent the attachment or any indication of what the attachment relates to. Therefore systems, methods, computer program products, and data structures for presenting message attachments independent of electronic messages at a user-interface would be advantageous.